Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb délier

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The English translation of the French verb “délier” is “to untie” or “to unbind.” The infinitive form, “délier,” is pronounced as “day-lee-ay.”

The word “délier” originates from the Latin word “deligare,” which means “to untie” or “to loosen.” It is primarily used in everyday French in the Passé Simple (Simple Past) tense to describe actions that occurred in the past, especially in written or formal contexts.

Here are three examples of “délier” used in the Passé Simple tense, along with their English translations:

  1. Il déliait le nœud avec précaution. (He untied the knot carefully.)
  2. Elle délia les cordes et s’échappa. (She untied the ropes and escaped.)
  3. Nous déliâmes nos liens et partîmes. (We untied our bonds and left.)

Please note that the Passé Simple tense is rarely used in spoken French, and the examples provided are more commonly found in written or formal language.

Table of the Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of délier

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
Je déliai Je déliai mes cheveux. I untied my hair.
Tu délias Tu délias le nœud. You untied the knot.
Il délia Il délia le paquet. He untied the package.
Elle délia Elle délia les cordes. She untied the ropes.
On délia On délia le lien. One untied the bond.
Nous déliâmes Nous déliâmes les fils. We untied the threads.
Vous déliâtes Vous déliâtes les lacets. You untied the shoelaces.
Ils délièrent Ils délièrent le ruban. They untied the ribbon.
Elles délièrent Elles délièrent les chaînes. They (feminine) untied the chains.

Other Conjugations for Délier.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier (You’re reading it right now!)

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb délier

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Délier – About the French Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense

The French Passé Simple, also known as the Simple Past or Preterite, is a past tense used in written French to describe completed actions that took place at a specific point in the past.
It is not commonly used in everyday spoken language, where the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense. The Passé Simple is mainly found in literature, formal writing, and historical contexts. It has a somewhat limited use in modern French, and its conjugation can be complex.  
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation

The Passé Simple is formed by conjugating the verb according to its specific endings for regular and irregular verbs. The endings typically vary based on the verb group (i.e., -er, -ir, or -re). For example:
   – For regular -er verbs (e.g., manger, parler): Remove the -er ending and add appropriate endings, like -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, -èrent.
   – For regular -ir verbs (e.g., finir, choisir): Remove the -ir ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.
   – For regular -re verbs (e.g., vendre, attendre): Remove the -re ending and add endings like -is, -is, -it, -îmes, -îtes, -irent.

Usage

Narration

The Passé Simple is commonly used in literature to describe past events in a narrative or storytelling context.

Historical Context

It can be used in historical writing or documents to discuss events that took place in the past.
Formal Writing
In formal or academic writing, especially in essays or reports, you might encounter the Passé Simple.

Interactions with other tenses

Passé Composé

In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the go-to tense for describing completed actions in the past. The Passé Simple is not commonly used in spoken language and is often replaced by the Passé Composé.

Imparfait

While the Passé Simple focuses on completed actions in the past, the Imparfait is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. They can sometimes be used together to provide a more detailed past narrative. For example, “Il lisait un livre quand il reçut un appel.” (He was reading a book when he received a call).

Conditional and Subjunctive

The Passé Simple can also be found in the conditional and subjunctive moods in formal writing. For instance, “Il faudrait qu’il partît” (He should leave, subjunctive).

Summary

The French Passé Simple is primarily used in formal or literary contexts, and its conjugation can be quite complex. In everyday spoken French, the Passé Composé is the preferred past tense for describing completed actions.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb délier. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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